Beginnings
by mimithewriter
Summary: Miranda Priestly and Andrea Sachs have not seen each other in years to find they will be reunited in a way they never imagined.


Part One—Chickens come home to Roost.

The years had passed swiftly as the winters, autumns, springs and summers graced Manhattan. The fashion week in Paris that Andrea Sachs left Runway Editor Miranda Priestly had become urban legend as the years sped by and before anyone knew what had happened, twelve years had passed. Miranda was beginning to think about her future at Runway and her plans to retire were beginning to take shape. Twin daughters Cassidy and Caroline Harris were newly minted graduates from Harvard and Yale respectively causing great joy to Miranda, whom herself did not have the opportunity to attend university. Instead Miranda chose another route as she went to Art College and concentrated on fashion design and textiles.

Andrea Sachs walked away from Paris, Runway and Miranda Priestly in one bold move. A move that she had long regretted over the twelve years and counting since it occurred but never took the chance the rectify it as life had other plans. Her older sister Jill Sachs-Mulroney had married years before Andy had graduated from Northwestern and had her nephews promptly thereafter. The eldest boy was named Bennett and the younger one by three years was Eric, both being close to Andy. Leaving Paris like a thief in the night and boarding the plane without detection, Andy fled her panic state into her destiny. Hours after she landed in New York she was roused out of her travel induced sleep to a frantic phone call from her parents in Houston. Her sister and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident. It was the beginning of her new life as she became the guardian of a fourteen year old teenager and a boy of eleven years of age.

Andy moved to Houston where she inherited a full working beef ranch, a house, two businesses, two boys and a huge Great Dane. At twenty four Andy's life was very well on route on being a full-fledged adult. Her former boyfriend Nate Cooper returned to her side once his parents had told him about Andy's sister and through the passage of time they married in a no nonsense wedding. Andy seemed to be living the dream or at least she kept telling herself as her friends constantly told her. She was missing one important element, her missing piece—Miranda Priestly.

Cassidy Harris was new in Houston as she was attending her first year of medicine at the local medical school. Miranda was dismayed her daughter had to head South for school but relented when Cassidy had made it her desire. Cassidy was often the softer and kinder twin whose personality mirrored her father Rick. Bennett was a first year resident at the same university that Cassidy was attending. They had met at a local watering hole that was frequented by the med students and residents alike, they enjoyed a drink together that lead to a dance and a one night stand that seemed to last through to an on-going six month relationship.

Miranda had taken a cab to her daughter's apartment in the downtown core of Houston. Miranda had not spent a lot of time in Texas but she often found the heat to be displeasing. As she reviewed the texts and emails on her Blackberry, she was tired after flying directing from London. Her trip was a surprise to her daughter as Cassidy had not been able to fly to New York to partake in their annual Thanksgiving feast. Caroline was able to make the holiday as she was based out of Washington D.C., for her law studies, much to their father's delight as she was attending the same law school as he had.

Miranda was in the midst of opening the door when she heard muffled sounds and moans emanating from her daughters bedroom. Panicked and worried over Cassidy's well being Miranda rushed through the bedroom door to find Cassidy in a compromising position with a young man.

"Mom, I have some news." Cassidy said hurriedly as she tied her robe and entered the living room area as Miranda paced around like a caged tiger.

"Cassidy, I realize you are a grown woman of twenty four years of age but I did not want to see that. Who is that boy…that man?" Miranda seemed to say loudly, clearly out of her element.

"Bennett. He's my boyfriend and we have been dating for six months now." Cassidy seemed to be looking at the floor as she tried to find the right words for her explanation.

"Ms. Priestly?" A deep voice with a Southern drawl belonging to Bennett was heard all of a sudden causing both women to turn their heads to regard him.

"Miranda." It was all she could say as she saw the tall man whose good looks were obvious from a distance and she noticed a twinkle in his eye as he smiled at her and enveloping her into a hug.

"Cassidy and I have wonderful news. Bennett continued with his statement even though Cassidy was waving frantically to him that he should not share anything with Miranda. We are going to get married. I proposed and she accepted."

Miranda tilted her head to look at the young man before her. He was exceptionally handsome with wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes, his smile spread across his face and reached his eyes which twinkled. His countenance reminded Miranda of another person—Andrea Sachs.

"You are not getting married!" Miranda spat out suddenly, which caused the young couple to jump and huddle together as Miranda glared at them.

"My parents will be delighted to hear the news. They will be excited to meet Cassidy." Bennett tried to recover quickly.

"You haven't met his family? Cassidy Anne Harris what are you doing?" Miranda said with a quiet but deadly tone.

"I'm in love Mom." Miranda shook her head as she knew those were the famous last words of any romantic fool.

Bennett grabbed his cell phone and spoke fervently as he allowed mother and daughter to speak as he called his aunt and tried to get her to make arrangements at Nate's restaurant.

"Bennett tell me about your family. What do they do?" Miranda inquired. She could just imagine Rick's response to this engagement.

"Well, my parents died in a car accident when I was fourteen. My aunt and uncle raised my brother Eric and I. My aunt runs the family ranch and a bookstore in the city. My uncle owns and operates his own restaurant in the city core, and it's a hit with gourmet food connoisseurs'." Bennett said as he texted quickly to Nate.

Bennett entered the restaurant and headed straight towards the back to see his uncle Nate. Nate was in the middle of his lunch rush when he noticed his nephew heading towards him.

"Ben what has you on fire?" Nate said with a smirk and a spark of mischief in his voice.

"Nate, I proposed to the girl I have been dating and now her Mom dropped by unexpectedly and now everything seems like a disaster." Bennett spilled out quickly.

"Okay, well that is a workable situation. Nate was rubbing his scruffy face as he pondered the situation. Maybe you can postpone the engagement for a little while as we all get an opportunity to wrap our minds around the new development."

"Nate, she's pregnant. I want to marry her." Bennett blushed as he confessed his sin to his uncle. Nate simply gaped for a moment before he recovered and held him tightly in a bear hug.

"Your aunt and I will do all we can to help." Nate said with conviction.

Andy was in the middle of a meeting with one of their suppliers when her cell phone rang, she noticed that it was Nate. Being seven months pregnant, Nate had the habit of calling at least six times during the day to ensure she was all right.

Andy walked into the restaurant prepared to do battle with a mother whose irrationality was going to make her angrier by the minute as her hormones played havoc on her body and emotions. However, sweeping into the restaurant as a mother on a mission nothing could have prepared her for the vision before her. Nate never mentioned who the mother of the girl was.

Miranda Priestley. She was sitting at the table which was reserved for special guests. It clearly was a mistake as she looked around the restaurant and noticed that Nate had closed down the establishment to have privacy.

"Miranda, it certainly has been a while." Andy said without preamble.

Miranda having her back towards the door felt goose bumps as the familiar timber of a voice she had lost so long ago. She closed her eyes for a quick moment and opened them as she turned around to see Andrea Sachs, a very pregnant version.

"What are you doing here?" Miranda spat out forgoing any pleasantries.

"My nephew and I are meeting today." Andrea said without reservation.

Bennett came out of the kitchen quickly and greeted his aunt with a bear hug and kissed her cheek gently and held onto her hand as he brought her towards Miranda.

"Miranda this is my mom Andy, well my aunt but she's more my Mom." Bennett said excitedly.

"We are going to get married. I refuse to have my baby being born without its parents being married. Andy you taught me to be responsible and I love Cassidy." Bennett exclaimed exasperated.

Both Andy and Miranda glared at the young man as they digested the new information.

"Pregnant!" Andy exclaimed. "Bennett how could this happen?"

"Andrea honestly you're pregnant and you still feign ignorance." Miranda said with a touch of venom.

"Miranda I am no longer your employee and you shall not berate me as such. Please refrain from your comments." Andy exploded as her hormones took over the better of her.

Miranda sat back and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to absorb the situation and the circumstances surrounding them. All of a sudden this was a family meeting which included Andy, Bennett, Miranda and Cassidy as they were all involved with the baby that was in the making.

TBC


End file.
